Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to the Muddy Fours Insurance Podcast. I'm your host, Dawn Cross, and today I'll be chatting about dog grooming and pampering with Lucia Kahn, Director of Uptown Dog and Dog Groomer.
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[00:00:21] Speaker B: Could you introduce yourself and what you get up to in your business?
[00:00:25] Speaker C: Yeah. So my name is Lucia Khan.
I own the Uptown Dog, which is a dog grooming business and it's also a boutique shop based in Greenwich in London.
I set up the business in 2020 right when the pandemic hit and obviously it was a good time for my business to kind of flourish because everyone got locked down puppies and, and yeah, I've kind of just grown it from then pretty much.
So I initially started off working for my bathroom in my flat and I just set up all the basics that I needed and eventually two years later, my business was kind of fully blossomed and I then went on to conquer taking on a shop. So now my shop has seven employees. So I've got four groomers, myself included, full time. One apprentice at the moment, which I've recently extended to that area of business, which has been great. And then I've got three guys working the shop upstairs stairs selling treats and toys and fun things for dogs, basically.
Wow, that sounds amazing.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: I love that. How did you get into dog grooming to start with then? Is it something you've always wanted to do or.
[00:02:00] Speaker C: Yeah, it was. It's a funny one because I basically, my previous career, I was a flight attendant, so I was cabin crew and I was doing that for eight years and it got to the point where I couldn't really handle the time difference anymore in long flights and it was getting very tiring. So I was like, I need a different career path to venture down. So it kind of all got inspired from my sister's dog. So my sister has a Bichon friends, so Kagan, she's 8 years old.
And I was always kind of inspired, I guess by how amazing she always looked after grooms and how good she felt. So I was kind of like, wow, like, how do they accomplish that? So initially I didn't. I was gonna set up my own groomers, but with the intention of actually hiring in groomers because I didn't actually think I was good enough.
I didn't think I had a creative spark in me to be artistic with dog grooming or anything with hair. So there's only until I spoke to my mum and my mom was like, well, why don't you do the grooming. So I was kind of a bit apprehensive at first because I kind of thought, well, I don't think I'll be good. But I plucked up the courage, I got a loan to do the course and I did like a level 2 and level 3 combined.
But I did it over a course of 10 months basically because I was working full time.
So I kind of slotted in my training on my days off.
And yeah, I kind of just hit the ground running with it. I didn't do a get as course or, you know, fresher day of just doing one day of see if you can do it. I just thought, you know what, I'm just gonna go for it and do it.
And I was equally. I kind of wanted to choose a career where I could work for myself and be my own boss as well. So I did the course. I really enjoyed it.
I finished my course, I think end of 2019. So I got all my exams finished, I set up my insurance, I set up my business, literally January 2020.
And I thought, you know what, I can't just leave it because I think with grooming you, you have to continue on with it. It's a confidence thing as well. I think if I had stopped and then went to it later, I think I would have struggled to get back into it.
So I thought, no, let's just carry on. So I was actually working, I went part time flying.
I set up my business from home and I was also working in a local salon part time to get salon experience. So I was essentially doing three jobs. But it kind of all worked out, really. It kind of works that way because by that point I was building up my business whilst also building up my experience.
And then after a year and a half of working the salon, I decided just to cut all ties and just go out on my own and do it. So then after two years, that was it. I opened my shop. So, yeah, it was exciting. I really enjoyed it. The process was very stressful.
It's weird, I think when you. Now I look back, I'm like, oh, it's really easy back then. But it really wasn't. It's. It was just the struggles of, you know, confidence and, you know, building a business on your own is very difficult because everything from the admin side to looking after people's dogs is very, you know, so important that, you know, within time, I kind of just, just dedicated so much time to it to make it work. And yeah, now I've got my shop, I've got My staff, I've got a really good team of people.
All our clients are lovely and it's a very big dog community in Greenwich, which I love as well. So there's plenty of doggies and lots of friends, so. Which is nice.
[00:06:31] Speaker B: It's very good. It sounds really positive, the journey as well. So you had to kind of slow but surely switch over your career. Like you're saying, going part time and, you know, especially in a pandemic, it puts a stop to anyone's plans and they did, you know, obviously worldwide. So it's great that you've managed to kind of overcome that part as well, which, you know, would have been hard for any kind of dog owner and then actually kind of make it flourish to where you are today, which is absolutely amazing.
[00:07:02] Speaker C: Definitely been a journey, that's for sure.
But in a positive way, I think you need to go through those things to grow as an individual, grow as a business.
And even just taking on an employee. My first employee I was scared about because then it's extra rules and employees, legal rights and everything like that. But I had to learn that was all new to me because I was so used to just being out on my own doing it, that it was kind of then adventuring into a different side of business. So, yeah, lots of paperwork.
[00:07:43] Speaker B: Not exactly for a second. So obviously you've got all these years under your belt. Now mymain question for you today is, you know, what is something that pet parents tend to forget about when it comes to grooming? Whether, you know, be for large dogs, small dogs, what's something that maybe you've seen time, time again, that's a bit of a trend.
[00:08:01] Speaker C: Well, there's a few.
One I would say is scheduling. So that's a. That's a big thing. So I would always say always book your next appointment. So then at least you've got something to avoid disappointment because especially peak times, summertime is all. As soon as the sun comes out, that's it.
The phone is like off the hook. So summertime is very busy period. And Christmas time, everyone wants Christmas green. So I would always say have a couple booked ahead because dogs expect. We do a lot of doodle breeds, catapoos, cockapoos, malchies, you know, sproodles, like a lot of poodle mixes and they tend to get matted very easily. So we always try and get our clients on a six to eight week schedule, at least.
And then, you know, if you have to change your appointment, then you have to change it or you need to cancel it, then at least you've kind of got something set in stone, I would say.
But following on from that, I would say matting is probably quite a big currents in the salon again because people haven't had a chance to get an appointment and then they've had to wait a bit longer and then obviously the dogs will then get matted and it ends up with obviously having to shave them down, because that's the most humane way. Because it gets to the point where the matting is so severe that that's our only option. It's not what we like to do, it's not what we choose to do.
You know, we like to be.
We're a creative industry so we like to make the dogs feel good at the end of the day. That's our main priority. So I would say, yeah, regular grooming appointments, brushing your dog in between grooms or even just getting them in for little wash and tidies because, you know, every dog's different and you know, you'll get some where they have a high maintenance coat that you need to keep on top of, some you can kind of let go for a couple of weeks and they'll be absolutely fine. So I would say always kind of discuss with the groomer, you know, what's best for the dog and their coat type and then go based off of that advice and then try and book in regular appointments because it is a little spa day for the dog as well and it's good. Even shorthead breeds, you know, they all need their nails clipped and ears cleaned and de shedding, especially this time of year because again, their coat changes in the spring and in the autumn and that's when they kind of shed the most because they're getting ready for the next season. So every dog needs a little pamper day, if I say so. Yeah. Those are probably the two main challenges we have in the salon. So. Yeah.
[00:11:12] Speaker B: No, definitely, I think as well to point out that, you know, obviously depending on the breed you were saying about kind of poodles and poodle crosses previously, you know, if you've got, you know, some really, really fluffy ones, like huskies and stuff like that, obviously they're very much built for winter. So it's not just a case of you just like shear it all off. There's got to be a certain way to go about it because you can actually affect like the second coat, which is a whole interesting phenomenon within itself, isn't it? Because of how amazingly, you know, well.
[00:11:40] Speaker B: Bred they are, you know, that's it. And I think a lot of people forget kind of the health benefits of grooming.
You know, dogs are very clever and their anatomy is very clever. And like you said with huskies, they, you know, they typically, they will blow their coat and shed like there's no tomorrow. But they're, it's so important to get that dead coat out of them so that they can thermoregulate properly so that their coat can do the job. Their airflow gets through that nicely brushed coat. There's nothing that's kind of compacted under there to stop that from happening. Because basically when that does happen, that's when they overheat, you know, and things like that. Like we have a rule in our salon where we don't shave double coated breeds. Obviously you get a lot of people who, you know, there was a trend with boo cuts on Pomeranians and they would shave them to make them look like a teddy bear. But you're counter, countering basically what their coach should be doing, then you're creating more problems because then their coat gets destroyed and then they can't thermoregulate properly and then that's when they get overheated.
So I think a lot of people have the misconception that if their dog gets shaved down, it'll make them cooler on double coated breeds. But actually you're having the opposite effect. So, yeah, we have that rule.
We try and educate people quite a lot in that respect. I think obviously the only time we would, if it's on a vet, vet recommendation or if the dog's old and the vet has recommended that, that is the procedure to go by. So, yeah, little things like that is, you know, and they, it increases a lot. Like even just brushing the dog increases a lot of blood flow, you know, to, around their body into their skin. And that's why after they're groomed, you always see them, they always get zoomies and they're very happy because they feel good and, you know, their coat is nice and airy and they don't have any of that. You know, dogs can pick up a lot of debris and, you know, they'll go swimming and pick up a lot of stuff and eventually that hair starts wrapping around those bits. And grass and grass seeds. I think every season kind of has its issues, whether it's grass seeds or mud or rain and anything like that. So, yeah, the health benefits of grooming, even like the nail clippings, their nails aren't clipped properly, then that has an issue on their joints because they're walking funny on their Paws. So these are all little things that to think about with the dog and when it comes to grooming from literally from head to toe.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely.
[00:14:39] Speaker C: And I think it's like, we've got.
[00:14:40] Speaker B: To remember as well. It's like, you know, if we as humans, Lemons. Appreciate that stuff. You know, you get a really good scalp massage down at the salon when you get your hair done, you know, when you get your nails done, or even if it's just like you're, you know, no matter what gender, you're just clipping themselves. But that nice fresh cut, like, is this the same for them? They really appreciate it and they feel so looked after and loved as well. So it's like a great way to bond with them. If you, you know, you pet them, you groom them, I mean, obviously, you know, clipping nails and stuff, that is up to the owners to take discretion, but obviously, you know, don't do it in a silly way and, you know, all the rest of it. So it's like they will see you as more of like a pack mate as well, because you're helping look and heart to them more than just like giving them food and taking them out on walks.
[00:15:20] Speaker C: Absolutely, yeah. We have so many, like, best friends as, like, our dog clients. And it's. I think that's what kind of makes this job so rewarding, is that obviously I'm a dog person and. And I smother my dog to bits, but equally I pass that on to everyone else's dog. And don't get me wrong, some dogs are quite aloof and aren't as loving and they're kind of like, yeah, you know, just get it over and done with.
Some are like, you know, they'll jump on the table and they're ready for the pamper day. And it's nice to have that bond, especially, like, from beginning to end. And. But if. When they're a puppy, when they're a elderly dog, you know, even now it's like when I started in 2020 and 2020 and I'm seeing I'm growing with the dogs, so I've had them since puppy and now they're five and I'm like, where's the time gone? Like, I can't believe it. So, yeah, it's quite nice.
[00:16:25] Speaker B: That's really lovely.
One of the last questions today is like, you know, have you got a funny memory or something? That's hilarious that's happened that you'd like to share with us?
Speaker C: Oh, there's plenty.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: I'm sure there is.
Just one.
[00:16:43] Speaker C: So I'd say probably the funniest one was there's a. There's quite a few dogs who do it, but there was one particular one where we're grooming and the dog was then trying to hump. So he tries to hump on the table and you're like, try and get the groom done. And then coincidentally, as I was, you know, grooming this dog, the.
That song, the shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. And he was literally humping in time with this song and we were literally crying because it was just.
[00:17:20] Speaker B: Oh, that's amazing.
[00:17:22] Speaker C: Yeah, it was hilarious. But, yeah, a lot of humpy dogs, so they like to groom a bit too much, I think sometimes.
[00:17:30] Speaker B: It's just very, very stimulating.
[00:17:32] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.
Makes the job a bit more difficult. So you just have to wait and let them do their thing.
Right there. It was. It's funny. Little things like.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: That's adorable. Well, is there anything else you'd like to add before we wrap up the episode today?
[00:17:54] Speaker C: I think anyone who's looking into going into dog grooming and, you know, I think it, or any dog industry is such a rewarding career.
You know, I couldn't think of anything better now than to spend my day with dogs. I went from spending my days with 400 people on a plane to now spending my days with everyone's dogs and kind of being part of their family.
So I think, you know, if you're up for it and there's a choice that you're looking into getting into, then I would say go for it. Like, you know, get the training that you need to, because, you know, at the end of the day, you're looking after someone's. I mean, my dog is my child, so you're looking after someone's child.
So get all the training that you need and make sure you know, the ins and outs because, you know, you've got a responsible role.
Do all the background checks that you need to do and literally just go, go and do it. I just think, you know, you've got nothing to lose. It's a very rewarding career. It's difficult at times, but you know, what job isn't? So I think, you know, just take the positives and roll the punches and enjoy. So. But, yeah, anyone's can reach out to me if they want any advice, you know, anything like that is if they want to start up. But it's. Yeah, it's really great.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: That's brilliant. Well, thank you so much for coming on today to speak with us.
[00:19:33] Speaker C: Thank you for having me.
[00:19:37] Speaker A: Thank you to my guest today, Lucia, for chatting about her salon Alpine dog and her tips when looking after your dog's fur. If you'd like to know more about her salon and services, please click the link in the description.
I have been your host on Cross and make sure to click follow for more episodes.
[00:20:01] Speaker B: SA.
